I just completed my final presentation for my Nutrition Educator certification. After much research and work it all came together beautifully. Dani, my partner and personal graphic and IT expert put it together for me using a new presentation tool called Prezi.
The purpose of my presentation was to educate people on being informed and critical grocery shoppers. We often just run through the store without much thought and think that the store has our best interest and health in mind. Not so! There is TONS of marketing going on in the grocery store. Every item, island, sales item and the layout are designed to make you buy more items and spend money.

I also explain some of the common marketing labels that are used on various items and how to properly store things like nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and dairy so you get the most out of them.
Because I think this is useful information I want to share my presentation with you. You can access it here: www.tinyurl.com/supermarketsavvy.

Please let me know what you think! Is there any information you would find useful to add? Are there any lingering questions?

A big salad accompanies our dinners most nights of the week. It gets eaten straight out of our wooden salad bowl which is a great way to save on dishes :)

My favorite lettuce types are mixed baby greens, spinach and arugula. But, because these are such delicate varieties you have to buy them fresh and eat them fast to enjoy their delicious crunch.

But, sometimes things get in the way, dinner plans change and our poor lettuce starts to droop and flop in the fridge crisper. Pretty soon we've got lettuce mush and it ends up in the trash (or compost!) I hate throwing away food, it drives me crazy.

How can you avoid wimpy salad greens and have clean lettuce ready to go?
Easy! Store your salad greens in your salad spinner.

As soon as I get home from the grocery I wash my greens and get them nice and dizzy in the salad spinner. Then, I put the spinner in the fridge. Done! I have found that this keeps my greens crisp and fresh much longer then keeping them in a bag. I have even "re-crisped" salad greens that have already started going limp by the time I get home from the grocery. Plus, there are no excuses to not have a salad ready in 5 minutes flat. Toss them in a bowl, drizzle on some oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, maybe some lemon juice, fresh herbs and add chopped tomatoes, avocado, sunflower seeds, blueberries, goat cheese, shredded carrot.....ok, you get the idea.

Pass on the iceberg
Sure, iceberg lettuce is fine. But for me the name says it all....it leaves me a bit cold and doesn't have any personality.

Start incorporating dark and red colored varieties in your diet. Dark leafy greens are packed with lots of wonderful nutrients such as vitamin A, C, K, calcium, folate, fiber and antioxidants (red leaf is especially high in antioxidants).
Plus, you can eat as much as you want. Lettuce has only 7 calories per 1 cup serving - so munch away! Just watch how much dressing and other goodies your adding.

Make your salad a meal
Many of us like to have a salad for lunch. It's quick, light, healthy and easy to transport to the office. But, most salads are not substantial enough to be a meal and usually you're hungry less than an hour later. Start incorporating some healthy fats in your salad to turn your side salad into a delicious lunch that will keep you full longer. Some great additions are:
- Avocado (2 ounces = 100 calories)
- Sunflower seeds (1 tablespoon = 90 calories)
- Whole almonds (10 almonds = 60 calories)
- Hard boiled egg (1 egg = 77 calories)
- Tuna in olive oil (3 ounces = 160 calories)
- Hard salami (1 ounce = 108 calories)

The reason adding healthy fats keeps you satisfiied is that fat takes longer to digest and therefore keeps you full longer. This way you're less likely to go scrounging for snack later on. Add a small sweet potato, a 1/2 cup of brown rice or a piece of fruit (if you have a sweet tooth) and you'll definitely be full until dinner and not tempted by office cupcakes.

RESOURCES:
Read more about the health benefits of different lettuce varieties and see images check out the Colorado State Extension service.

Traveling and trying to eat well and be really difficult. Especially, if you are trying to stick to particular diet or way of eating.

This summer we are planning on doing a number cycling events and will be staying in a few different hotels before and after these events. So, to save money and stay on track with our eating needs I created "Tanya's Traveling Kitchen."

We gave it a test run on our trip to Santa Rose to ride in the Amgen Breakaway Ride, Stage 2 last weekend. Although it needs some tweaking it was a pretty big success. We ate 3 meals with the "Traveling Kitchen" and probably saved ourselves at least $100 by not eating out and felt strong and well nourished for our ride.

Here's is an aerial view "Tanya's Traveling Kitchen" on top of a desk in our hotel room. Most of the things are pretty obvious, but here are a few tips for creating your own traveling kitchen:

What NOT to bring:
1) Plates: You can eat everything out of a bowl, plates will just take up extra room. If you want to be extra prepared bring bowls with lids - you never know when you might have to store leftovers.
2) Cups or mugs: Most hotels have some glasses and/or mugs in the room so don't bring your own. We always travel with water bottles as well and they are good back up.
3) Your whole knife set: You don't want people to see your kitchen coming down the street with clanking pots and pans so keep it really basic. Bring only one knife, one cooking spoon, one cutting board, one pot etc.
And don't forget:
1) Multi Plug Extension Cord: Hotels don't have a ton of extra plugs sitting around for you. Sometimes you have to decide between TV and charging you cell phone. So, bring along an extra extension cord with a few spots to plug into. That way you can use the lights, watch TV, charge your phone AND cook dinner all at the same time!
2) Cleaning Supplies: Somehow sponges and soap can end up at the bottom of the list. Also, bring a few extra small dishrags; you never know when you might have to clean up a spill and you don't want to be a jerk and get tomato sauce all over the hotel towels.
3) Call Ahead: Call the hotel and find out what all will be available in your room. We were lucky and had a small fridge in our room and a coffee maker. Know what to expect so you can come prepared.

Since we were going to be limited in what we could make at the hotel I prepared most of our ingredients ahead of time.

For dinner I had made ahead Mini Turkey Meatloafs and pasta at home. At the hotel I quickly boiled some cauliflower we had leftover from a few days earlier and then tossed those veggies together with cut up meatloaf, jarred tomato sauce and pasta. (That's Dani with her HUGE bowl of pre-race pasta).

For breakfast we planned on having quinoa breakfast cereal. I had cooked up some quinoa in our rice cooker at home and prepared all pre-measured dry ingredients in small tupperware containers. This included; chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, ground flax and hemp seeds. I tossed them into our warmed quinoa and added almond milk, chopped apple and honey. (Cinnamon would have been a good addition, which didn't occur to me until later. Next time!) Yummm!

Two things we learned that we'll adjust for next time....

One, if you and your partner have dietary restrictions (i.e. Tanya isn't eating dairy but Dani is) defer to the person with the special needs. So, on the 2nd morning I made both of our cereals with almond milk instead of making two separate batches. This made things go much faster.

Second, bring along an extra container with a lid or extra bowl of sorts (I know, this is breaking rule #2 on what NOT to bring). Reason being is that you may need somewhere to put any overflow food while you're cooking. So, if you just cooked your broccoli and then need to put it somewhere to keep while you cook the rest it's good to have an extra bowl on hand.

I hope this will inspire you to create your own little traveling kitchen if you find yourself in a hotel. You don't have to go as far as we did. Even just being prepared with a knife and small cutting board you can cut up apples and cheese or spread some nut butter on a rice cake. No excuses for not eating well when you're on the road!

Spring is a time for renewal, cleaning up and getting back on track. So, I thought this was the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite foods that I've neglected lately - eggs. Eggs are a staple in our house and I usually always have at least eight hard boiled eggs sitting in the fridge.

To do a little celebration of Easter we had our friends Beth and Amy over on Sunday to color eggs. Now we have about 18 beautifully colored hard boiled eggs in our fridge. Now I'm really back on track with our egg snacks.

Eggs have gotten a bad rap recently. First they were bad for cholesterol, now most recent studies have shown that they are high in Omega-3's and actually reduce the risk of heart disease. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that most people can eat 1 to 2 eggs a day without measurable changes in their blood cholesterol levels. Plus, eggs are an excellent source of protein which is helps maintain fullness. That's why eggs are perfect for breakfast. Some people even consider eggs to be the nearly perfect food because they contain the second highest quality food protein known.

Choose eggs from free-range or organically raised chickens. Commercially raised chickens are given processed grains sprayed with pesticides and antibiotics. The chickens convert much of the starch in these grains into saturated fat and this fat ends up in the yolk. On the contrary free-range chickens are fed naturally occurring seeds and insects and so don't store such high amounts of fat and pesticides. Plus, some free-range chickens are also fed flaxseed or special feed which increases the omega-3 content of their eggs.

So, grab a pot, your eggs and water. In less than 20 minutes you will have a simple snack that is packed with amazing nutrition, vitamins and protein.

THE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG
Yes, perfect might be taking a leap. But, this recipe really is perfect. My friend Sandy Gluck, host of Everyday Food on Martha Stewart Living Radio shared these steps with and they have never steered me wrong. I almost never end up with a grey yolk - they are always incredibly yellow and delicious.

1) Place eggs in saucepan and cover with approximately 1 inch of water.
2) Bring water to a simmer where a few big bubbles begin to break the surface of the water
3) Remove from heat and let sit for 12 minutes
4) Drain and rinse under cold running water. You can also let them sit in cold water for a few minutes to cool them off. Unpeeled eggs can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.

Here in the San Francisco Bay area the market is starting to get really colorful with sweet, tart and juicy fruit. It's already strawberry season and a variety of oranges have been hanging around for a while. This past weekend we picked up both - the strawberries were gone within hours. You just can't leave those sweet beauties sitting around for long!

We also picked up a few naval oranges. Oranges are fantastic to keep on hand for a quick snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and provide you with a ton of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. One orange supplies nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C! Sounds like it should be more like an orange a day keeps the doctor away (no offense apples). Plus, the pectin in oranges possesses properties that can lower cholesterol levels.

After all those health benefits how can it get any better, you ask? Hold on to your hat!

Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids which (flaxseed oil contains nearly twice the level of omega-3 fatty acids as fish oil). They have been shown to have cancer fighting properties and can be helpful in reducing cholesterol.

I'm sure you've heard of all the incredible health benefits of flax seeds and flax seed oil. You might even take a daily flax seed oil supplement. I always have a bag of ground flax on hand in my fridge and have been throwing it into our occasional smoothie or in oatmeal.

But, why stop there?

Last night I gave Dani a bit of a shock when I added a tablespoon of ground flax to a few cut up oranges. But, after a face that said "ewww, that looks gross" she took a bite a was pleasantly surprised. Tonight I was asked "where's the flax seed stuff?" after cutting up some oranges after dinner.

STORING FLAXSEED
Flaxseed can be purchased whole or already ground. Whole flaxseed has a longer shelf life and can be stored in an air tight container in your pantry. Ground flaxseed should be stored in your refrigerator or freezer in an air tight container as they can oxidize easily and spoil.

USING FLAXSEED
A typical serving of ground flaxseed is 1 or 2 tablespoons daily. It is recommended to use ground flax over whole flax because you digest the ground version more easily. It's possible that your body doesn't completely digest the whole flax and then you don't get as many of the nutritional benefits. If you prefer you can buy whole flaxseed and grind it in a clean coffee grinder.

COOKING IDEAS

• When adding ground flaxseed to cooked cereal or grain dishes, do so at the end of cooking. The soluble fiber in the flaxseed can thicken liquids if left too long and you may lose some of the nutritional benefits
• Add ground flaxseed to your homemade muffins, cookies, pizza dough or bread recipes
• Add ground flaxseed to cut up fruit or smoothies
• Sprinkle cooked veggies with flaxseed to add a nuttier flavor
• Add ground flaxseed to salads, homemade pesto or sauces

I don't typically have much of a sweet tooth. I scrape the frosting off of birthday cakes and need coffee to get down my pastry or piece of chocolate. Holiday treats are lost on me.

But, since I started avoiding dairy I've had this incredible yearning for chocolate. It's a strange craving that I've tried to satiate by eating a banana or a handful of almonds and cranberries instead. So far....the chocolate monster is still tapping on my shoulder.

Over the weekend we did our grocery shopping at Berkeley Bowl in (you guessed it!), Berkeley. It's a great store with such a variety of great products and a wonderful produce section. I could walk around there all day admiring all the amazing foods and ingredients to play with in my kitchen.

During our tour we ended up in the baking aisle and I eyed up a bag of Cacao Sweet Nibs from Navitas Naturals. I knew that cacao is a dairy free product so me and the chocolate monster looked closer to see if this might be the solution I'd been looking for. The label read organic, raw AND vegan. Success! At $5.99/bag I hesitated (barely) and ended up tossing it in the cart. I must be pretty desperate.....

As soon as we got home I tore the bag open like a crazed addict, tossed a few tiny nibs in my mouth and chewed. They were pretty darn tasty. With a very slight hint of sweetness they taste a bit like coffee beans and have they have a nice crunch which is also pretty satisfying.

Just a small taste after dinner or as an in between snack has so far settled my occasional chocolate cravings (now I just have to keep them away from Dani!). The bag is only 4 oz and at around $6.00 can seem a bit pricey. However, with a little self control I can see it going quite a long way and lasting me at least 2 weeks.

More yummy tidbits about cacao:

• Cacao is full of antioxidants (more than in green tea and red wine!) and has trace minerals such as magnesium and iron
• Cacao may increase your focus and alertness and contains nutrients to keep you happy
• Cacao does contain caffein. So, if you are avoiding caffein or are sensitive pay close attention to how eating cacao affects you. 
• Ancient Mayans called cacao "The Food of the Gods"
• 1 oz of Navitas Naturals Sweetened Cacao Nibs contains 150 calories

So, if you are looking for a healthier sweet treat give cacao a try. When I'm feeling adventurous I may have to try using it to make fudge or chocolate chip cookies.

Let me know if you have tried a raw and/or vegan recipe with cacao or cacao nibs. I'd love to hear it!

As someone who is constantly watching what she eats, I have been on the hunt to find the best bars to help keep me satisfied between workouts and meals. Bars should definitely not be seen as a meal supplement but they are convenient to have on hand in the office or in your bag so you have a safe fall back instead of becoming a victim to the drive-thru. There are hundreds of bars available so I did my own little taste test. Below are a few that I've tried so far and I liked.

Do you have a favorite snack bar? Please share. I'm always looking for new ones to try.

Best Ingredient List: Lara Bar
PROS: Creative flavors, gluten free, dairy free, all raw ingredients and only 5 items in ingredient list. Good for anyone who has any diet restrictions. We liked the sweet fruity taste.
PROS: The salty and sweet flavors really satisfied our snack tooth. It's packed with protein so this is a great option for after a workout.
PROS: 2 bars in each pack offer the illusion of eating more. There are a variety of flavors and the bars have a nice balance of protein and fiber. It's readily available in most grocery stores. The crunch is a nice alternative to chewy bars.
   - Protein: 4g

Best All Around Bar: Nectar Bar
PROS: 2 servings of fruit in each bar, all organic ingredients, only 5 items in ingredient list and tastes great! Balanced amount of fiber, protein and vitamins.
PROS: Sweet, chewy, full of fiber, easy to find in most grocery stores
Nutritional information may vary depending on which flavor bar you choose.

It was one of those nights - when dinner just hits the spot and turns out oh so good. I found the recipe after a quick search this morning and couldn't wait until official "dinner time" started. I was thinking about it all day long.

I went to World Market yesterday to pick up coffee (it was double punch Wednesday. Which means you get two punches on your coffee card :) Even though I was in a bit of a hurry I couldn't help but make a B-line through the food section. On impulse I picked up some polenta, an ingredient I've only used once before a few years ago.

This morning as I was getting ready for my day I was already thinking ahead to dinner. Not unusual for me - I've always got dinner on my mind. After looking at the nutrition label I was impressed that 100 grams of polenta only has 70 calories so I knew this was something that would definitely fit into Dani's calorie count for dinner. After a quick search on thekitchn.com I found Breanne's Polenta with Black Beans and Coconut Tomato. When I saw that I had all the ingredients at home I knew this was what I was making for dinner. And, it turned out delicious!

To prepare the polenta I weighed each slice so I would know the approximate calorie count. Each slice came out to about 50 grams (i.e. 35 calories) so I planned for 4 slices of polenta per serving (140 calories). Together with the sauteed spinach, 1/2 cup of black beans and 3/4 cup tomato topping this dinner came out to about 500 calories. We also each had an artichoke on the side and a salad. It was a full meal and we were both completely stuffed afterwards.

If you've never tried polenta I would encourage you to do so. You can find it in most grocery stores prepared in a little sausage which is perfect for slicing. Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal and can be eaten creamy or solid. It is the staple food of northern Italy and used to be described as peasant food. If you get the prepared kind as I did you can keep it in your pantry for a few months so it's a good staple to keep on hand for a quick, healthy, low calorie meal. Just be sure you don't stir in too much butter or cheese as many recipes suggest!

Here are a few more polenta recipes to try:
Savory Polenta from Alton Brown
Creamy Polenta with Warm Tomato Compote from Cooking Lite (153 calories per serving)
Polenta and Vegetable Bake from EatingWell.com (215 calories per serving)

I just heard about this film and wanted to share it with you. Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with 'incurable' diabetes switching their diet and getting off insulin. All within 30 days! Take 5 minutes to watch the video - you will be amazed. Now, I don't claim to be a raw foods expert - but if going on a raw diet can cure someone of diabetes that is pretty awesome . I look forward to checking this film out later this month here in Oakland.

Dani and I do eat some of our fruits and veggies raw but I've never eaten an ONLY raw food diet. For people who are in generally good health I believe moderation is key; eat some raw veggies and some cooked.  Dani takes carrot sticks to work everyday for a midday snack which is a great way to stave off an afternoon craving and get some of those nutritious raw veggies in your diet. We eat steamed or grilled veggies for dinner a few times a week and of course have salad with pretty much every dinner.

When you do cook  your veggies it's HOW you cook them that I think is really important.

How I Steam Veggies: Cut your veggies into equal sizes and place them in a steamer basket with water. Bring the water to a boil and steam for only a few minutes. The colors should pop and they should retain some bite. Broccoli should become bright green, carrots bright orange. Once your vegetables start to look dark and lose color you've cooked the living daylights out of them AND all the important nutrients. Think "cooked broccoli in the school cafeteria".....yuck! To serve sprinkle a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt on top.  If you make too much you can always throw your leftovers into a delicious vegetable soup later.

Unsure about choosing the perfect produce? Check out Home Hacks vegetable selection guide.

Here are a few delicious vegetable recipes to try:
Steamed Broccoli With Miso-Sesame Sauce from Body and Soul Magazine
Steamed Vegetable Ribbons from EatingWell Magazine
Eight Ways to Perk Up Steamed Vegetables from thekitchn.com


If you are interested in hosting screening of Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days go here.

I eat dairy every day (well, used to). Yogurt of all kinds, cereal as a midday snack, butter and honey on my toast and of course oatmeal for breakfast. But, I've decided to go on dairy detox for the next 3 months and I'm a little nervous about it.

Why would I do such a thing?

Well, I've been reading more and more that wheat and dairy can exacerbate acne. It's something I've been battling for years and years and as I get older (yikes!) I'm noticing a lot of changes in my skin. I've seen many dermatologists all of who give me the same thing (put this stuff on your face that bleaches all your clothes, take these antibiotics, have a nice day). The last dermatologist I saw pretty much gave up after 3 months and wanted to put me on Accutane. That was the last straw. If you haven't heard about Accutane you can read about it here. In a nutshell....the warning signs on the packaging basically tell you that you that by taking this medication you could go totally crazy, birth 3 headed alien babies and maybe need a liver transplant later in life. Ok, so that's not exactly true. But, the warnings are really extreme and it's not something I'm prepared to put in my body. I know there must be another way.

I was recently talking with my friend Gia who is an esthetician and owner of Gia Spa in Pacifica, CA. She confirmed what I had been reading and told me to either take out dairy or wheat for 3 months. Because it would be pretty much impossible for me to cut out wheat I chose the dairy first (and am praying that this is the solution!). So, I decided to stop postponing and to start immediately.

I'm on day two and going strong (so far :) I went to Farmer Joe's and Trader Joe's to stock up on a variety of soy and goat milk yogurt and of course to pick up soy milk. Today I made my sandwich with goat cheese instead of cheddar.

If you have any information or help you can give me about going dairy free I'd love to hear it. I need all the help I can get!

Despite my great love of radishes I often forget about them. I see them in the produce section all the time but end up passing them by for one reason or another. I'm going to start giving the poor radish a bit more attention.

Because we're in California and you can pretty much grow vegetables all year round (something I really had to wrap my head around coming from the east coast) I planted a few of them in the fall. My thumb is only "light green" at the moment and I'm learning to be a patient gardener so I pretty much just threw some seed in my garden beds and hoped for the best. Well, you can imagine my surprise when I finally saw some red peeking out from the moist dirt. I had grown radishes!

Now, they are quite small but they do pack a nice spicy punch. It is fun to go outside, pull out a few and have them for a little afternoon snack. They are juicy, crunchy and can really satisfy you. Plus, they are a great source of important nutrients with as much potassium as bananas. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, folate and a good source of magnesium.

I remember snacking on radishes as a kid all the time. Sometimes we had them sliced on a piece of buttered bread and a sprinkle of salt on top - aka "radish sandwich". Most of the time though we just at them raw and snacked on them like chips.

If you are looking for a great low calorie snack give radishes a try. Take them to work for an afternoon snack, add a few slices to your salad or make a radish sandwich. No peeling, chopping or grating necessary. Just wash and eat. And, if you get a few spicy ones at first don't despair! There are about  5 varieties usually available in grocery stores such as red globe (the "typical" red radish), white icicle radishes (which look like carrots and are a bit milder) and Asian radishes such as daikon. Plus, there are over 150 varieties you can grow yourself.

CHOOSING RADISHES
Your radishes should be hard with a fairly unblemished surface. Avoid soft or spongy radishes. If the leaves are attached they should be crisp and green. If you purchase radishes in a bag be sure to check for mold.

STORING RADISHES
Like with many root veggies trim the greens off your radishes right away. Leaving the greens on will quickly cause your radishes (or carrots) to get limp and rubbery because the leaves are still pulling nutrients from the vegetable. Most varieties will keep up to two weeks in the fridge but there should be no need to keep them that long. Eat them!
So, the next time you're in the produce section give that bunch of red radishes a second look. Your taste buds will thank you.

Do you have any other ways to eat radishes or recipes that you put them in?